What causes varicose veins?
Some predisposing factors include aging, standing occupations, and leg injury or trauma.
Heredity is the number one contributing factor that causes varicose and spider veins. Women are more likely than men to suffer from abnormal leg veins. Up to 55% of American women may be affected in their lifetime. Hormonal factors seen during puberty, pregnancy, menopause, and the use of birth control pills affect the disease. It is common for varicose veins to become more prominent during pregnancy and worsen with successive pregnancies.